Bord Glas confirms heavy crop losses
It reports that practically all crops grown outdoors have fallen foul to the continuous rains and low temperatures of the past few months.
The worst affected growers, in terms of direct losses, were those involved in the production of field or orchard grown crops, in particular field vegetables, early potatoes, soft fruits and apples.
However, many others who had no problem in producing top quality food and amenity crops, were indirectly affected by a lack of consumer demand for their produce.
Bord Glas chief executive Michael Maloney said there is concern that the affects of the poor weather will impede development and investment in those sectors where losses have occurred.
“Growers need sufficient earnings to have the confidence and resources to reinvest in the future needs of their businesses. We trust that the Irish retail sector will be sympathetic towards and supportive of Irish producers during this difficult season,” he said.
Bord Glas reports that dull weather and cold conditions reduced demand, particularly for salad crops but it also kept many gardeners indoors and away from the country’s garden centres.
Consequently many bedding plant growers were left with excess production during a period which would normally coincide with their peak sales in April and May.
Bord Glas said growing conditions for field grown fruit, vegetable and potato producers was particularly difficult. A combination of steady and constant rainfall, high water tables, high wind chill, low levels of sunlight and reduced soil temperatures resulted in poor root establishment of plants.
In extreme cases, seeds, transplants and tubers were unable to strike or survive leaving many misses and “patchy” crops.
Waterlogged drills made even the most basic of husbandry tasks difficult to achieve and held up many tractor operations, in particular, timely spraying and fertiliser applications. This has resulted in the increased risk of potato blight.
The type of losses incurred by growers include those due to non-planting, crop write-offs and yield and quality losses. While losses have been widespread, with all parts of the country affected, the field vegetable and potato growers in north Co Dublin would appear to have had particular difficulties.
All outdoor crops have been adversely affected but broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, iceberg lettuce and scallions have been hit most severely. Poor tuber growth and Blackleg disease have significantly reduced yields and the quality of the second early British Queen variety of potatoes.
The constant rain has also reduced honeybee activity, which resulted in poor pollination of many crops throughout the country, particularly on outdoor fruit crops. Beekeepers anticipate poor honey yields in a season that proved extremely difficult for the bees to gather nectar.
